From owner-freebsd-newbies Thu Jun 18 16:46:45 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id QAA08872 for freebsd-newbies-outgoing; Thu, 18 Jun 1998 16:46:45 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from mx.serv.net (mx.serv.net [205.153.153.234]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id QAA08867 for ; Thu, 18 Jun 1998 16:46:42 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from fewtch@serv.net) Received: from desktop-pentium (dialup640.serv.net [207.207.65.40]) by mx.serv.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id QAA19116; Thu, 18 Jun 1998 16:46:45 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19980618163903.007f6640@mx.serv.net> X-Sender: fewtch@mx.serv.net X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.5 (32) Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 16:39:03 -0700 To: David Wolfskill , freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG From: Tim Gerchmez Subject: Re: A first encounter with 'vi' In-Reply-To: <199806171941.MAA05868@pau-amma.whistle.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Sender: owner-freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org At 12:41 PM 6/17/98 -0700, David Wolfskill wrote: >>Why would there be nothing else around? You could stick gunzip and a >>gzip'ed version of ee on a single floppy disk and take it with you wherever >>you go, or probably ee or a similar editor would fit on a floppy just fine >>uncompressed. > >Because you're working on a system that doesn't *have* a floppy drive >(such as my Sun 3/60). Or it has one, but it's broken. Or the device >driver for the floppy is acting weird. > >(Floppies are actually rather unnatural I/O devices to some of us....) Point well taken. >Maybe that's OK, if you're *always* going to be using a set of >homogeneous systems... but that's not the reality many of us live in. It *does* all depend on what environment you're working in. Most PC's have a 3 1/2" 1.44 MB floppy drive (at least those that an administrator cares a little less about security on), it's become a ubiquitous standard, as do Macs. Other platforms, maybe not. >If you want to thus restrict yourself, go ahead... but I hate to see >someone do something like that without at least being aware of some >consequences that, in my experience, are likely to be encountered. OK, let me ask you this. Are there any other editors that are as ubiquitous as vi that may be a *little* easier to learn and use? Most machines have Pine/Pico installed as well, don't they? -- My web site starts at http://www.serv.net/~fewtch/index.html - lots of goodies for everyone, have a look if you have the time. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message